The Nagoya Minami High School Green Band performs in the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

Green Band leader Hirofumi Yokoyama, right, goes over instructions with the players during practice.

Green Band members decorate their drums with Rose Bowl art while practicing at Angel Stadium.

Nana Kobayashi, one of 125 Green Band members visiting from Japan, practices at Angel Stadium.

Green Band members practice at Angel Stadium.

Green Band member Ohara Yuuka hams it up at Angel Stadium as a friend takes her picture.

The Green Band practices at Angel Stadium the weekend before their performance in the Rose Parade.

The Green Band came to California from Japan with 125 members to march in the Rose Parade. They practiced at Angel Stadium the weekend before their performance.

The Green Band comes to California from Japan to march in the Rose Parade. The high school and graduate students practiced at Angel Stadium the weekend before their performance. The environmental brass band "aims to increase green plants on our planet," according to their website.

The Nagoya Minami High School Green Band performs in the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

The Nagoya Minami High School Green Band performs in the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

Green Band member Sekido Yuri fans herself as she rests between practice sessions at Angel Stadium.

After months of practicing, sometimes for 12 hours a day, Japan’s Green Band was honored to have played in the Rose Parade. Members were also honored to perform at a charity concert with students from John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma for the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes.

The Green Band was formed in 1998 and is widely known for playing in the Rose Parade. However, for 15 years, one of its goals has also been to help the environment through its music. Members perform charity concerts to help raise funds for victims of disasters, as well as plant trees and vegetation.

The Green Band can consist of a single band or a number of high school bands playing together. It pulls from high schools across Japan to perform in these special events. For this year’s Rose Parade, Nagoya Minami High School from Nagoya, Japan, a little more than 200 miles south of Tokyo, was chosen to come to California. The band brought 125 members, including 70 current high school students and 55 graduates.

As a part of its annual trip to Southern California, the Green Band Association looks at the most tragic events of the year to determine which victims could use help from their fundraising efforts. This year, their funds will help the victims of the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma in 2013. In past years, they’ve chosen to help victims of Southern California fires, Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy.

The event took place Jan. 2 at John F. Kennedy High School, where both high school bands played together.

Minori Nakamura, a trumpet player, said she was very excited to play in the Rose Parade but felt even better knowing that her performance was going to be helping victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes.

“I heard that there was a lot of damage and a lot of people were injured. I hope that our music can help people,” Nakamura said.

The founder of the Green Band, Yuzuru Kumagai, said that playing in this band allows students to learn about the environment through their music. It’s an exchange that he believes is vital for protecting the arts and the planet.

“It’s very important to help with the local area and dealing with natural disasters, especially in the place where we have band activities.”

For the past 10 years Hirofumi Yokoyama has led the bands and worked with hundreds of students. He says he sees them all as his own children. As part of the selection process he looks for students who seem outgoing and could adapt to American culture. He doesn’t necessarily focus on their talent because he believes he can train them.

He still thinks it’s as exciting as when he started. “Every year it’s different. The audience is so open and cheerful, not like a Japanese audience, which is quiet and polite. I really appreciate the cheering from American audiences. They participate with the band and that’s what the students need to experience,” Yokoyama said.

For many of the Japanese students, it was their first time in the United States and a bit overwhelming.

“California is very hot for winter and I’m surprised at a lot of things. Like when we went to the supermarket and everything was so big,” Nakamura said.

Drum major Hikari Yiwata said she was excited to come to the United States for the first time.

“There are no clouds. In Japan there are tall buildings, but here everything is so wide and you can see everything,” she said.

The Green Band’s preparation might seem painstaking to the players in most American high school marching bands. Yiwata said they practice three hours a day during the week and 12 hours a day during the weekends.

A number of Southern California families opened their homes to the band members. Steve and Joanne Ishii have been hosting Green Band members for five years. They heard about it through their church and usually host two students.

“It’s a wonderful experience,” Joanne Ishii said. “The kids are always appreciative and excited. They love being at home with the family and take pictures of all the food. They’re always amazed with the portions.”

The Green Band will perform in the Rose Parade again next year and, without a doubt, in a charity concert.

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